“It has been only five months since the UN General Assembly convened and ratified the new Sustainable Development Goals – and Baltimore is already pushing forward to localize this global agenda, proving it can be a model for cities around the world who want to build locally-grounded strategies to tackle sustainable development needs.” ~ Dr. Sandra Ruckstuhl

Jeffrey Sachs, special advisor to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and director of SDSN, believes Baltimore can serve as a trailblazer in demonstrating how the SDGs could work for cities in the United States, and the importance of addressing social issues, such as race and class and poverty alleviation, along with economic ones.

“I am thrilled to be working with Baltimore and its citizens to build on past successes, to find new, innovative solutions to persistent development challenges, and to support Baltimore to become a leader in the world of sustainable development,” Sachs said.

Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan is the Director of the graduate programs inNegotiations & Conflict Management and Global Affairs & Human Securityin the College of Public Affairs at the University of Baltimore.